Clarion

KEEPING ON THE ROAD ON THE FLOOR
The cornerstone of Bayburt folklore: drum-zurna is an indispensable element of weddings. Bayburt, who may have contributed to the folklore of the region for many years, Demirözü (Kısandalı), my father Zurnacı Ali (Ali Yılmaz) and my uncle (my father’s uncle’s son) drummer Ürker İmam (İmam Kına) performed this art for years in Demirözü and the surrounding villages, and it will be forgotten for future generations. They taught “Bayburt Bars”.
In February 1980, my father and uncle set off in a car to be taken to the wedding to be held in a village of Bayburt. There are four people in the car, including my father, uncle, driver and one person. After passing turkey village, an intense blizzard starts and the car gets stuck in the land. Three people try to get out of the car and push it, but they are unsuccessful. They bend over to the side of the car and wait for the blizzard to calm down. When they get up, they can’t see the driver and the other person next to them, they look left and right, and no one is visible. They think that two people whose names they do not even know are going to Bayburt with that fear. der. Despite the intense type, they walk for about two to three hours. They arrive at the village of Yelpınar (Pülük), because my uncle knows this village, he goes to the house that is his mansion, that house is the house of Uncle Muro (Mir Hasan Kurtulmuş). They knock on the door, the bride of the house opens the door, my uncle and father are wet and frozen, they cannot talk. The bride of the house understands the situation and immediately calls her father-in-law, Uncle Muro. Uncle Muro recognizes my uncle, when he sees them, he immediately opens his mansion, sets the stoves on, lays two trays on the floor, takes off my father and uncle’s top and hangs it on the wires of the stove. Especially get into the mattresses, he says, his son brings food and Uncle Muro asks;
– Imam gada, what is the situation, where did we go in this winter?
My uncle tells the story.
– Gada says to where, how can we not go to Kisanta in winter in this snow, especially stay two or three days longer, be my guest, do not rush,
My uncle;
– Thank you to the agha, God bless you, you opened your house to us, the bride has only property and cattle at home, she can’t cope without going into the dark.
Uncle Muro does not want to leave, but my uncle is determined, he sends my father and uncle to the exit of the village, about two hours later they arrive in Kisanta. The people of the house are unaware of the incident, my uncle and father get sick, they can’t get out of bed for a week: they come to themselves at the end of a week with high fever, cough, and the story that they always feel “loyalty” remains:
Uncle Muro…
My father and Uncle Muro’s paths cross again in 1995, both of their daughters won the Bayburt Health Vocational High School, my sister and Uncle Muro became girlfriends, my father asked for Uncle Muro’s picture from his daughter through my sister, to put in the family album and we wondered about Uncle Muro’s picture. he comes home, we still keep the picture in the family album because it has always gained “loyalty” in our land.
My uncle Imam Henna passed away in 2000, Uncle Muro (Mir Hasan Kurtulmuş) passed away in 2003, and my father Zurnacı Ali (Ali Yılmaz) passed away in 2020. Leaving good memories behind…
Words Found in Bayburt Dialect in the Story;
Aga: Abbreviation of the word elder brother.
Gada: It means brother.
Bride’s: In the Bayburt region, out of respect, she will mention her wives in front of the elders; name, wife, wife etc. words are not spoken, the words bride, lady, sister-in-law are used to denote their spouses.
Ev mansion (Gonağ): In each village in Bayburt region, there was a big room (hall) next to some houses personally, in the past there were at least three house mansions in each village.
Mal-davar: It is used to say bovine and ovine animals together.

Fadime MUTLU
Turcologist